Artist gives voice to Muslim women through Palos Hills art exhibit

HANDOUT

The interactive sculpture by Soheila Azadi in collaboration with Zohreh Pasandi, Shahnaz Azad and Iraj Azadi is part of the “Inside Out” exhibit on display from Jan. 10 to Feb. 7 at Moraine Valley Community College’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in Palos Hills. (Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery)

The interactive sculpture by Soheila Azadi in collaboration with Zohreh Pasandi, Shahnaz Azad and Iraj Azadi is part of the “Inside Out” exhibit on display from Jan. 10 to Feb. 7 at Moraine Valley Community College’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in Palos Hills. (Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery) (HANDOUT)

A Muslim-born woman who lived under a theocracy in Iran got the chance for her first solo exhibition thanks to a project in Palos Hills.

Soheila Azadi's "Inside Out" from Jan. 10 to Feb. 7 at Moraine Valley Community College's Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery is part of Mosaics: Muslim Voices in America, which explores the breadth of American culture through the lens of Muslim artists living and practicing in the United States.

"I feel amazing being a part of that. Especially with the current political climate, we really need this kind of exposure and inclusion," said Azadi via phone from her Chicago home.

"I've been part of group shows. I've done small projects here and there, like I've performed solo, but to exhibit different pieces in one exhibition, this is the first time. I always wanted to do a solo exhibition but the opportunity wasn't there really.

"This speaks to the issue of invisibility and how invisible we are. If there was not this grant that was specially written for exposure of Muslim voices, I probably wouldn't have this experience and this exposure. That's what we need more of."

The interactive "Inside Out" exhibition uses critical humor to blur the separations between sexes in public spaces.

"The woven pieces especially use humor to specifically talk about how we connect masculinity to power. That's something I grew up with — always pushing back against this system," said Azadi, who returns once a year to Iran to visit family and maintain the collaboration for her art.

"I would say that systematic sexism is very apparent in my culture," she said.

Even her father, who has been an inspiration, she said, looks at women differently — as being fragile and in need of care.

In the end, Azadi's father, Iraj Azadi, funded the project while her mother, Zohreh Pasandi, and aunt Shahnaz Azad helped with the woven pieces.

"My work is basically inspired by my own experiences of growing up a Muslim woman in Iran," Azadi said, noting that women and men often are separated in public spaces such as universities and public transportation such as buses and trains.

"You face a theocracy every day from the moment you wake up to the moment you to go to sleep. One thing I keep in mind is that once we separate people based on sexes, what is the creativity that could happen within the female-only spaces? I look at craft as a result of these separations."

A reception for "Inside Out" is set for 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 22 with Azadi (www.soheilaazadi.com) giving an artist talk at 10:15 a.m.